Visualizing Waste: Klaus Pichler’s Gorgeous, Rotting Food

Over a period of nine months, fine art photographer Klaus Pichler turned the bathroom of his studio apartment into a curated collection of plastic containers, each containing food items available to the average citizen of industrialized Europe. The strawberries rotted in a week and a half. The smell of the decaying chicken kept him up for two days.

EGGS Click or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

It helped that he lived alone at the time, and not with his girlfriend and her cat. “I wouldn’t be able to do it again,” he tells me during a recent conversation.

We are discussing Pichler’s project, “One Third,” which was sparked in 2011 by a U.N. survey on global food waste. No matter how rich or poor the country, the report found, one-third of food produced for human consumption goes to waste, due to factors such as consumer decisions and lack of distribution channels, while over nine hundred million people are starving.

These findings struck a personal chord for Pichler, who grew up in a rural province in Austria which he describes as “a little Bible belt”—where eating and raising meat were an important part of the culture. Having rebelled against this with the decision to be a vegetarian, he was used to thinking critically about his own diet. The idea to create a visual expression of this survey came to him almost spontaneously, he says. And so he got to work.

CHOKOLADE COOKIES Click or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

“It was quite a challenge,” Pichler says. “I was definitely not the first one who was making photographs of rotting food but to make myself credible, I decided not to rent a studio but to make it in my apartment. This was quite a conscious decision. When I am working on a project, I want to really be in the middle of it.”

Periodically peeking into these containers, he observed the blossoming of mold and rot, marveling at the diversity of shapes and textures that normally flourish when food is living out its last days in the trash can, out of sight.

CHICKEN Click or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

“I remember the greek noodles,” he says, “It was really strange because I stored it and there was nothing for almost one week,” he recalls, “It was a Friday evening and I detected some small white spots. Then I left for two days in the country and when I came back it looked like the noodles had a fur coat. So incredibly strange and it happened so fast. I was really stunned by that one.”

“It was like a chemistry set for grown-ups,” he laughs.

When they were at their most photogenically putrid—some things required multiple attempts to catch before the slide into visual oblivion—he placed the items against an elegant backdrop, elaborately staging them for their final portrait. An exercise in deceptive beauty.

EMMENTHALER (CHEESE) Click or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

“From the beginning, it was obvious for me that I wanted to quote the aesthetics of advertising photography, because I thought there is a little bit of a twist if I really style the food and make it look perfect. On first sight you react with ‘ok that looks nice,’ and then you realize what you are looking at.”

TOMATOESClick or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

But the photographs of waste are just one half of the project. Accompanying each of these compellingly repulsive still lives is the food’s life history, and the resources needed to transport it from field (or factory) to shelf. These two aspects, waste and transportation, are two sides of the same coin.

PINEAPPLEClick or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

Pichler gathered all of this data himself, which was as challenging as making the photographs. Since European law says that while the origins of food must be kept on record, retailers and producers are not obligated to share the information with consumers, Pichler met a wall of silence when announcing his intentions.

Finding what he needed to put the pieces together involved some creative trickery, from sleuthing around supermarkets (he got kicked out several times for photographing food packaging) to going undercover as a giddy consumer so impressed with a product he wanted its personal history. Flattery gets you everywhere.

KRITHARAKI (GREEK NOODLES) Click or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

There was also the potentially awkward moment when this project might not only be a sacrifice of an odor-free living space or free time, but of his personal mores as a devout vegetarian (and now vegan):

“There were some moments when I was shopping for meat, standing in front of the refrigerator cases, when I thought, if I were to meet a friend, what would I tell him? ‘Oh I’m doing research for a project. It’s not for me’, imagining the conversation—and ensuing skepticism. “Like some men who attend porn cinemas, I felt absolutely the same.”

While Pichler was relieved when the project was over—”the thing I like best is that the project is finished and I don’t have to do it again,” he says—his dedication came with an unexpected reward: a call from the U.N. agency behind the survey, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

STRAWBERRIES Click or hover over photo to view the food’s history

Launch Gallery

Pichler had assumed that an organization such as the U.N. wouldn’t be interested in the abstract art he was creating. But, just as he had read a newspaper article about their work, they had read one about his, and found “One Third” to be a perfect representation of their survey. They now exhibit his work at their annual meetings and food waste events.

And with “One Third” continuing to make the rounds of galleries in Europe, Pichler now partners with the FAO whenever he can. While he sees this as an art project, borne of personal creativity and dedication, linking his vision with the facts-based message of how food is distributed and consumed is where the true satisfaction lies. “The content is the most important thing.”

Klaus Pichler is represented by Anzenberger Gallery. His book, One Third, was published in 2013.

The May issue of National Geographic magazine, kicked off an eight-month series about the future of food. As part of that effort, Proof is highlighting independent projects that look at food production and consumption.

There are 99 Comments. Add Yours.

Sukirti Gupta
September 9, 2014

It’s both awesome and awful. Great idea and fabulous pictures any way!

TamTruth
August 11, 2014

I’m amazed at how oddly beautiful I find these photographs. Thank you for the conscious visual to our consumption habits! Keep up the great work! I hope even greater opportunities are to come for you 🙂

Wendy Wiley
August 10, 2014

I have had a lot of moldy food in my house, but never cookies. I’m surprised they would look like that rather than just getting stale. Perhaps they were treated with something, or they are a very moist and/or rich cookie (or kept in a moist environment). I am always fascinated by the different types of mold food grows, but have never documented it!

Wartrick
August 8, 2014

I have to admit that this guy’s work is beautiful but make me disgusting later.

Babby660
August 5, 2014

Unfortunately, too many folks DO waste food, which borders on the criminal! The bright side of the story is that, judging by the responses here, many of us are just appalled by that fact, so there’s hope that this ridiculousness will end.

Rob Lindbergs
August 5, 2014

Waste is a personal thing, in nature none of these products would go to waste infact the bacteria and mould are using the food source to grow. Nothing is truly wasted if it can return to the soil. I reuse repurpose recycle & compost whatever I can so that very little goes into the garbage bin. 🙂

Sahar
August 5, 2014

OMG ! Wonderful . It is really creative.

Jyoti
August 4, 2014

Ugly can look beautiful and awesome….really magical pics…!!!!!!!!

Babby660
August 4, 2014

I salute him for having the fortitude to put up with the odors, in addition to his artistic vision.

simon cheer
August 3, 2014

Awesome, nature at its best

lesincanada
August 1, 2014

So what’s this dudes next project? Finding and photographing the perfect dog turd?

Matt
July 31, 2014

Just a glimpse of probably 1 in 2 household refrigerators around the world on any given day

Hunger is a double edged sword. Perhaps you can next address overpopulation.

yubing
July 29, 2014

I think wasting food is a bad habit.

Yasmin Abdel Monem
July 29, 2014

Congratulations to the photographer, especially, if it meant to be a message; otherwise, to me it looks like ugliness presented in a beautiful way!

Marti
July 28, 2014

I share your concern for hungry people, but I do not see the connection of my unused food going bad, and those who are starving thousands of miles away. If I purchase less food, then either the store does not sell it, or the farmers sell less to the store. There is little chance of the unused perishable food that is being produced here being sent halfway across the world to those in need. I wish there was a way to get it there practically, quickly and economically, but I don’t see how it would be possible. I do like the artwork.

Babby660
July 28, 2014

Marti, I appreciate your comment re the effect your unused food has on folks starving half a world away, but, as a child of the 1940s, I’ll never forget my mom’s plea to “think of the starving children of Europe” whenever I didn’t want to polish off the spinach or liver. If I was adament, my dad stepped into the discussion with a much more forceful argument to settle the discussion 🙂

Laura Shore
July 28, 2014

I absolutely love the photos, but I am one of those crazy kind of people who see the beauty in decay and rotting away. I have always done something creatively on an amateur level and I, in the past few years have taken to digital photography (just an inexpensive Cannon (but good) camera). I love to take photos of Nature as it decays and dies away. In other words, there is beauty to be found everywhere and I think Pichler just found that reality of the beauty in death, dying and decay. LOL Of course, the odor thing is a whole other issue. Nothing comes without it’s challenges. Nevertheless, I found the work very lovely indeed.

Cynthia
July 28, 2014

I am interested in knowing how you did the calculations and what they mean to our environment and society

Sam
July 28, 2014

I hate wasting food and try to be very creative in meal prep for my family sometimes it works. I am especially challenged with high produce costs, and quick spoilage. I find myself using frozen to prevent this. It is not as nice but better than the pictures in my refrigerator.

Richard d.
July 28, 2014

I’m a chef trainer who’s very concern by the waste and the artistic work. Well done! Wrotten chicken is one of the worst thing I have never smell in a kitchen!

Babby660
July 28, 2014

Yes, it’s horrible in a beautiful sort of way — or should that be beautiful in a horrible sort of way?

BARBARA NECKER
July 28, 2014

Indeed, starving people is the IMPORTANT message here. There are so many in a world where even the poorest among us (in the USA) throw food away thoughtlessly.

elena
July 28, 2014

To tricia:
You see not the noodles, but the bread mould hyphae

Gary
July 28, 2014

Very reminiscent of a 1984-5 film by Peter Greenaway View at your own risk!

Gary
July 28, 2014

Very reminiscent of a 1984-5 film by Peter Greenaway “A Zed & Two Noughts”

Rachel
July 28, 2014

the amount of research that has gone into the stats behind the production and transportation of this food is amazing, the facts are as astounding as the images. Excellent thought provoking work, thank you.

Fornik Tsai
July 28, 2014

Extraordinary art.

RKS nair
July 28, 2014

Just marvelous of seeing thro things in different perspective

John
July 28, 2014

There is a good reason humans are repulsed by the sights and smells of decaying food. It’s the result of thousands of years of experience with dealing with the need to nourish ourselves, without poisoning ourselves. Call it what you will, evolution, collective consciousness, but you don’t need someone else to tell you when something has gone rancid. Interesting to see how the sight of those images, even when accompanied by fascinating colors, can cause revulsion.

stalo
July 28, 2014

I am also wondering about the kritharaki (greek noodles) photo. Were they cooked before ?

Babby660
July 28, 2014

Stela, I would imagine the Greek noodles would have been cooked, since uncooked pasta almost seems to last for a very long time, if not forever. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong, but dried anything has a long shelf life.

Mike H
July 28, 2014

Beautiful work. Getting technical, any chance you would share your lighting setup? Obvious key light overhead, casting shadow almost directly below, but how did you fill from the front without having light fall-off against the background? (I realize it’s a black background, but expect would see some lighter-black areas where light fell. Maybe Photoshop explains it.) Thanks.

Soozee
July 27, 2014

I’m thinking it’s the message that’s important here. Some of the comments indicate, at least to me, that some people just ignored the words “starving people.” That is literally starving and watching their children die of starvation. While I certainly do appreciate the artistic aspect of beauty in these photographs, I hope the message shines more brightly and inspires all of us to do something to help this trouble planet.

tricia
July 27, 2014

I’m confused by the Greek noodle: What part of a noodle are we looking at?

Just think, those rotting leftovers could be photographed and sent to some upscale museum, to be enjoyed hundreds of years from now.

Melissa
July 27, 2014

Beautiful use of opulance to contrast the putrid waste! A very thorough and dedicated work. Congratulations on your success in reaching such a wide audience.

Augusto
July 27, 2014

The Beauty of decay. How nature wisdom handle remains properlly

Philip Wilson
July 27, 2014

I’m feeling a little smug right now, absolutely no food waste in our household! Every scrap is recycled, and when the pig is big enough we eat it.Closed circle so simple. Sadly its not possible for most of you. ask yourself why that is?

Nina Douglas
July 27, 2014

Wow! It is amazing but also disgusting at the same time. I hope you got your sense of smell back.

Karen L. Lew
July 27, 2014

I shamefacedly admit to recently having disposed of several items of food that had been too long in my refrigerator. I will be more diligent about only purchasing what I need and can consume before they rot or turn moldy. Thanks for the beautiful wake-up article.

Lee Bailey
July 27, 2014

This was done by the Masters across Europe during the height of the Age of Realism.. the large still-lifes of large tables full of what seems to be good food, but on closer look is all rotting. Meats, fruits, vegetables.. breads and cheeses.. Even flowers. There’s a ‘theme’ to each and they usually were done in a series, following the objects from ‘fresh’ to ‘fully rotten’. Most of the large ‘food paintings’ we see in dining rooms over formal tables are part of this art fad just before the Impressionist Period. They even used the same dark velvet background by and large. Nothing new under the sun.

Wonderful photos of food bought by over spending on food not really thought about needing. Buy when needed, not just because it is “buy one, get one free.”

Bud Wizer
July 27, 2014

What no beer?

Frank Crane
July 27, 2014

WOW ! ! ! is all that I can say. What beautiful photography. Also
I may never eat a strawberry again

Ron
July 27, 2014

Thanks for bringing to light the beauty of decay – a natural process that most people find disgusting!

June Adams
July 27, 2014

If it is a fact, not just a statistic massaged to support a political bias, then it is interesting and sad that Earth is occupied by such a bunch of ignoramuses. My childhood was spent on a mixed farm and there I learned to waste nothing. It is simple, easy and economical to use the complete food. Improved practical education for living is the key.

Larry budd
July 27, 2014

Now, take some photos from the fast food menus, and don’t forget Twinkies!
I think it would be interesting to compare GMO food next to organic food to see if there is a difference.

Babby660
July 27, 2014

the waste of the first world is truly criminal

Leah Murray
July 27, 2014

Awesome work — visually, photographically and research-wise! I AM impressed! Good job!

Cynthia Brown
July 27, 2014

Hope Mr. Pichler was using masks. Some molds cause allergic reactions and respiratory problems, and a few molds, in the right conditions, produce “mycotoxins,” poisonous substances that can make people sick. Spores can be transported by air, water, or insects. When airborne, the spores spread the mold from place to place like dandelion seeds blowing across a meadow. Foods that are moldy may also have invisible bacteria growing with the mold. And in the right conditions a few molds produce “mycotoxins,” poison. This is primarily in grains and nut crops, but can be on celery, grape juice, apples etc. and scientists are ongoing in finding new ones.
One, Aflatoxin, is a cancer-causing poison produced by certain fungi in or on foods and feeds. The prevention of this one is an extremely challenging present day issue.
When you see moldy food – don’t sniff it…it can cause respiratory problems. And when discarding moldy foods put it into a plastic bag, or wrap it in up securely and dispose of it in cover trash cans, where children and animals can’t get it. Then clean the refrigerator or pantry at the spot where the food was kept. And, check nearby items that the moldy food might have touched.

George Clark
July 27, 2014

This photographic journey into the decay of organic life was very well done. My Favorite is the fuzzy greek noodle.
Leave it to some with their own agenda to turn it into a world hunger statement.

Denise Bieira
July 27, 2014

I’m an old-fashion woman in some ways. When I was young (born in 1938) food was scarce. Twelve in our family. Mother did her best with what she had. Nothing went to waste in those days! I compost vegetable scraps & use it for gardens. I’m neither poor or rich and I don’t allow waste of any kind.

caroline seguin
July 27, 2014

Beautiful. I would have really liked to know how long it tools for every food to rot like this. We know about the strawberries (1 week and 1/2) but what a bout the rest? just curious, great work

Shipra Yadav
July 27, 2014

very profound and thought-provoking work

Tamilyn
July 27, 2014

Great article and stunning photography of an interesting thought provoking topic .. Thank you !

Lu Clark
July 27, 2014

I bet I could find some samples in my frig!! But I want to use this article in my Environmental science class

Carol Gatfield
July 27, 2014

Absolutely stunning!

sibdas ghosh
July 27, 2014

Interesting and at the same time disturbing. However, wasting food is a an age old practice. Earlier waste could be used to feed domestic animals. In the present urban society, the wastes go waste.

Barbara Clowers
July 27, 2014

Food if meant to decay; I don’t think it has to be seen as waste. In a less artificial environment, one feeds the excess to animals, chickens and pigs are the most common. On a non-mega farm, little foes to waste. One response is to use preservatives. Taken to its limits we get ten year old twinkles that are still edible.

Lin
July 27, 2014

So, to get the point across that people actually waste so much food you waste even more food that could have been put to much better use. I like the ‘logic’ behind that. Some people will just refuse to learn until they themselves have nothing. Even photos of starving babies in third world countries have not made people change their habits.

Cheryl Campbell
July 27, 2014

I will change my ways.

Glenn Shipley
July 27, 2014

This is all missing what should be the next photographic step, and the scientific truth it reveals. Microscopic examination is that next step – revealing the beautiful fungal world that includes mushrooms. If it were not for fungi, we would be all buried several miles deep in vegetative matter. These are nature’s recyclers at work.

Fred
July 27, 2014

The pictures are awesome, not so about the stench! Ugh!

Shelle
July 27, 2014

This would make a fascinating visual for teaching young students about producers, consumers and decomposers.

Deceiving, but once again, the isolation of civilization from nature breeds contempt of a functioning world. At my house, all of that “wasted” food would have been fed to chickens or other useful animals long before the rot was so bad or before the food created flies. Some people even hang the dead meat over the chicken pen to produce maggots for the chickens. The fundamental cause of wasted food is civilization itself.
We also don’t ever see a comparison to how much food was wasted BEFORE world population went over 1 billion people. The production of cheap food, which devalued the farmer and the nomad, made for cheap people and wasteful habits.

Trace
July 27, 2014

Pertinent, pointed, and perfect. Thanks for the effort and time put into this.

Brian
July 27, 2014

most of these are a “normal” look for the back of my Son’s Fridge

Marvin W
July 27, 2014

Ironically beautiful. The chicken is bizarrely surreal.

Ray McGinty
July 27, 2014

A shame he wasted all that food making his project. It would have been more earth friendly to gather thrown out food. He could have combined this project and one on the homeless as he was digging through garbage cans.

Donna
July 26, 2014

Such a beautifully creative approach to educating the world about food waste. The concept and photographs cannot be ignored.

Vanessa
July 26, 2014

This is truly a work of art and an impirtant “food for thought” project. It is fascinating in many ways!

suresh
July 22, 2014

Hi disturbing noodles chicken me to have that

Ava
July 20, 2014

Interesting when you look at mold from a non-media influenced perspective, and it is a fascinating subject. It needs to be taken in such a candid way as these photos so, rather then automatically repulsed, we can scientifically explore the world of mold in a way that allows further public funding, without the disgust and more of the fascination.

erbPIX™
July 18, 2014

Reminiscent of Miss Havisham’s wedding breakfast.

Luxemburgerli
July 18, 2014

Very nice pictures and interesting information on the resources spent to ship and produce them. I would be looking forward to one more key information: the rotting time. How long does it take the different food stuff to look like the ones on the photos? I assume the chocolate cookies take some time to turn green, while the (green house) strawberries turn green rather quickly (although green -house produced strawberries take 5x longer than fresh ones). Happy to read more about this…

niffer
July 17, 2014

just growing fur coats for winter

cyril
July 17, 2014

it is a very useful information.it touches every ones mind.done a great job.

Jeff McAllister
July 17, 2014

From the nauseating statistic that inspired this project to the gorgeous images (and the emotions the conjure) this project really hit me. Thanks for sharing, Alexa!

Kuranes
July 17, 2014

Pineapple looks cool.

Donita
July 17, 2014

I collect photos of the mould I accidentally grow in my fridge. I haven’t had much recently because I’ve been better at cutting down on my food wastage. This is taking it to the extreme!!!

Liwliwa
July 17, 2014

still looking yummy 🙂

Pamela
July 17, 2014

This is facinating and beautiful and sickening all at the same time. Truly a work of art!

vicki
July 17, 2014

Beauty can be found anywhere, it comes down to how you see things

Srikanth jonnakuti
July 16, 2014

I really appreciate your work Mr.Klaus Pichler. The abstract photography concept you’ve chosen is really an amazing thought. I would like to order few of those paintings. Could you please let me know the information.

Mindy Hullinger
July 16, 2014

I find the idea behind it bold in that knowing the smell and insects which would no doubt show up. A strong stomach was needed for this project.
Oddly I find the pineapple photo quite beautiful. The colors are deep and rich.